Pacific Air Forces blog joins growing ranks of military blogs

Pacific Air Forces has launched a blog site that allows airmen to share their stories with the world.

PACAF Pixels aims to create an informal setting where bloggers can post tidbits about everything from training with the Japan Self-Defense Force to an airman’s trip to an ice cave during a deployment to McMurdo Station in Antarctica.

“We’re not looking to just push out the company line,” said Col. Edward Thomas, director of PACAF public affairs. “We have more formal press releases and a command information program for that.”

Still, bloggers must get permission from their local public affairs office before posting. Content is monitored and screened to ensure postings don’t compromise security and are decent, public affairs officials said.

Airmen who upload videos on the Air Force’s BlueTube site follow similar procedures. BlueTube, a video-posting site connected to YouTube, launched in October and has had more than 30,000 videos viewed, said Air Force Capt. David Faggard, chief of the Air Force’s Emerging Technology division.

The division, which falls under the Air Force’s public affairs office, was created in August to develop creative ways to reach a wider, diverse audience, officials said.

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